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Penguins Q&A: Managing Veterans; Hallander’s Stay, & Free Candy!
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- Penguins Q&A: Managing Veterans; Hallander’s Stay, & Free Candy!
Penguins Q&A: Managing Veterans; Hallander’s Stay, & Free Candy!
WINNIPEG, Manitoba —Trick or treat. The Pittsburgh Penguins are dishing out goals and taking wins. As October ends, the Penguins have the most points in the NHL and an eight-game points streak.
Who knew?
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So, to have a little fun and pass a little time from the hotel in Winnipeg, we put out the bat signal for a Penguins Q&A via X. We'll do more next week, so if you didn't see the impromptu call, don't feel left out.
Rather than tilting a pint at a Winnipeg establishment, we're talking hockey.
It's time to get the ice.
Penguins Q&A
I think you summed it up as well as anyone could. Filip Hallander hasn't made an impact, but hasn't played poorly. He's getting some pucks off the wall, and he's playing responsibly and providing a steady presence.
The Penguins could do better, and they could do worse. There are a few signs that he's getting more confident and starting to play with the puck. He'll need to do more to stay there.
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The nice thing about the Penguins' current situation is that players are getting more space and opportunity to grow, fail, and succeed. Having eight wins in 12 games doesn't hurt that cause, either.
Nope. Sorry. Mario Lemieux was one of two, maybe three, hockey deities. Imagine a player who is about 6-foot-4 and some 210 pounds, stronger than Jaromir Jagr , with better goal-scoring availability than Alex Ovechkin , an extraordinary big-game presence, equal passing to Wayne Gretzky, and elite skating that looked like he was gliding.
No one has ever combined the physical tools and hockey IQ like Lemieux. Sidney Crosby is the best mortal hockey player of all time, but Lemieux is one of those couple of ethereal players.
Sergei Gonchar was one of those rare players who looked much better to his home team than to the outsiders. There is no denying Gonchar was a very good player. He played in 1301 games with 591 assists and 220 goals.
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Registering 811 points, he still ranks top-20 all-time amongst defensemen, but outside of finishing top five in three out of four years from 1999 to 2003, he only had one other top-five Norris finish.
Of course, if Sergei Zubov and Phil Housely got in, Gonchar should be in. He is their better, but it's not a crime against humanity that he's not in yet. I suspect he'll be in sooner than later.
I don't think Gonchar is the subject of anti-Russian bias.
This Q is a tough one. Blake Lizotte is playing very well as the fourth-line center, so there's no room at the bottom of the lineup.
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The path for Broz is via injury to one of the top three centers, or another path might be that he's called up to platoon with Ben Kindel as the 18-year-old rookie gets deeper into the season.
There's also the complicating matter of Kevin Hayes , who figures to be healthy soon. Would the Penguins waive Philip Tomasino and Hayes to get Broz on the roster? Probably not both.
So, Broz might be out of luck until something changes. No one said life is fair.
Umm, like professional coaches.
I know, I know. You want me to tell you that coach Dan Muse barges into the room, flips tables, screams at the veterans, and threatens to send them to Wheeling. Hold them accountable! Right?
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If that's not what you were asking, that's what many others have.
Muse has had conversations with Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson . He's done video sessions with them and Evgeni Malkin . And Crosby .
I think too many people in Western Pennsylvania think coaches need to behave like 1960s high school football coaches. I get it, fans get emotionally invested and want coaches to scream at players like Bobby Knight to get them in line.
That's just not the way it works.
There's a formula to this.
First, you need to have candy that goes quick. You don't want bags of leftovers. Second, you need to support your first-line candy with your personal favorites, so you enjoy the leftovers.
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Snickers, Baby Ruth's, Butterfingers, and the usual chocolates go in the bowl. Then I supplement the stash with Dots and Swedish Fish.
…And then I go full Orpik with elbows and body checks to anyone not in costume who tries to take candy.
The post Penguins Q&A: Managing Veterans; Hallander's Stay, & Free Candy! appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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